Who’s afraid of immigration? The effect of economic preferences on tolerance

Matija Kovacic () and Cristina Elisa Orso
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Matija Kovacic: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Cristina Elisa Orso: University of Insubria

Journal of Population Economics, 2023, vol. 36, issue 3, No 24, 1940 pages

Abstract: Abstract This paper suggests that intergenerationally transmitted ancestral characteristics have a significant impact on attitudes toward immigration. Using a sub-population of second-generation immigrants from the European Social Survey (ESS), we find that historical and linguistic factors that contributed to weaker long-term orientation and higher risk aversion are associated with a greater concern, especially among medium- and low-skilled workers, about the economic consequences of immigration and the admission of poorer immigrants. The results are robust to alternative sample definitions, estimation methodology, a rich set of geographical controls, and several potential confounding factors at the country of origin level.

Keywords: Economic preferences; Immigration attitudes; Ancestral characteristics; Cultural traits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D80 D83 J15 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s00148-023-00947-z

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